With Hulu’s Pam & Tommy series currently airing, Pamela Anderson is making headlines. Anderson had no involvement in the series and is set to release her side of the story with a Netflix documentary, and if that isn’t enough to keep her busy, she’ll also be making her Broadway debut.
She’ll be leading the Ambassador Theatre’s production of Chicago for a limited time from April 12th-June 5th.
Playing one of the leading ladies, Roxie Hart, Anderson will step into the shoes of a housewife with dreams of being a star. Since Chicago is all about how fame can warp your sense of self and how everyone interacts with you, it’s safe to say Anderson has plenty of personal experience to bring to the show.
In an interview with AP, Anderson shared her excitement about taking on the role, “I am inspired by the unexpected. This is it, and I will not hold back anymore. I am letting go. I am ready to see what I’m capable of. For Chicago, I’ll be putting all my cards on the table. I am doubling down — on me.”
Anderson isn’t the only household name who’s taken over the role of Roxie, though, in fact, many famous names have had their turn at the character. Some of these actors include Brooke Shields, Ashlee Simpson, Melora Hardin, Michelle Williams, and Brandy Norwood. Recently, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne’s turn as Hart, which was interrupted by the pandemic, hit a little too close to home as the star was experiencing her own legal woes.
The show is set in 1920’s Chicago and follows the young Velma Kelley and older Roxie Hart, two wannabe vaudeville stars. However, things take a turn when Roxie murders the man she’s been having an affair with after he threatens to leave her. After Roxie is arrested, she sees a way for her to be famous by proving her innocence as the press sensationalizes the trial/ She finds a rival in her cellmate, Velma, and the two fight for headlines.
Chicago producer Barry Weissler had nothing but positive things to say about Anderson.
“Pam is a very moral person, extremely moral. She cares about animals. She cares about the planet. She cares about people. The difference between her as Pam and Roxie is Roxie doesn’t care about anyone but herself, and she doesn’t give a damn about the outside world as long as she can be famous. So Pam comes with totally opposite attributes in life, but she fits because of her celebrity, what she’s gone through in life.”
It will definitely be exciting to see Anderson take on a role that’s both demanding and so different from herself.